Suze Orman's seminar-format video offers a financial pep talk to accompany her book of the same title. Though a good deal of her nine steps are nothing new or revolutionary--plan for the future, cut your credit-card debt, ... more &raquoorganize your estate, respect money, and take charge of your own money--she makes a few noteworthy points. Using psychology to flush out attitudes about money, she asks the members of her audience to think about their earliest memories of money and how it shapes their relationship with it now. She recognizes the feelings of shame and guilt associated with money and tells us to get over it--that these feelings are the very ones that paralyze our path to financial freedom. Her basic formula of financial freedom seems difficult to achieve since it requires us to factor in self-esteem, organization, dedication, and feelings of entitlement. She also feels strongly that "stating your goal will make it happen, no matter how impossible it seems," which is reminiscent of the psychology behind the "Little Engine That Could"--a bit simplistic when it comes to the complicated but still accessible world of finances. Orman's target audience is both one that needs a financial pep talk and one that isn't necessarily well versed in financial jargon. A person of any age can find something useful in her helpful, if urgent-sounding, reminders. She uses some statistical scare tactics--such as mentioning that one in three people over the age of 65 will end up in a nursing home, so you'd better get long-term care insurance--to drive her points home but then buffers them with an "everything happens for the best" and "your self-worth is more important than your net worth"-type philosophy. Orman ends the lecture with an enlightening question-and-answer session that elaborates on points not covered by her speech, such as how to find a good financial planner and the differences between retirement funds. Those looking for a specific formula to financial freedom may have to look elsewhere, as Suze Orman's philosophy is that we ourselves can and should be our own best financial advisors since we know ourselves better than any financial writer or planner ever could. --Gilia Angell&laquo less

Movie Reviews

How to make yourself financially free

James L. Grubb | Scottsdale, AZ | 01/03/2000

(4 out of 5 stars)

"The book sets the premise that you never learn to deal with money successfully until you overcome your fear of money...of not having enough, and fear of taking action with your money. It's about how to make money work for you so you have more than enough because you learn to devote energy, time, and understanding, to money. The three ways of getting money in this world: (1) Work for it (2) inherit it (3) invest the money you save (the most powerful, respectful way to get money there is). Here are the 9 steps to financial freedom: 1. Step back in time to see how your feelings about money can be traced to your past. We all have "money messages" passed down from generation to generation. 2. Face your money fears and create new, positive truths. 3. Be honest with yourself. Ouit using plastic cards for money. They are addictive and destructive as drugs, giving you a quick fix by satisfying temporary desires. 4. Be responsible to those you love. Establish life insurance, wills, power of attorney, estate planning, etc. 5. Be respectful of yourself and your money. If you do what needs to be done with money, you will attract money to you. 6. You and your money must keep good company. Credit cards are never good company. Get out of debt. Respect yourself and your money by making every penny work for you. 7. Trust yourself more than you trust others. Find the "little voice" inside you; listen to what it has to say. 8. Be open to receive all you are meant to receive. When you are in control of your money and have enough to be generous, money flows to you. 9. Understand the ebb and flow of the money cycle. Money has natural cycles as it ebbs and flows through your life.If you choose to entrust your money to someone else, and you really don't know how money works, unscrupulous people can take advantage of you. Further, you discover the thrill that comes from wanting to deal with your money instead of just having to deal with it. Get in touch with your money; delight in spending it as you did as a child, but enjoy choosing not to spend it too; take pleasure in putting some away for later.Most of us need to spend our money differently. Not drastic action like getting by with one car. Unrealistic budget cuts, like diets, never work. Rather, decide to spend $25 to $30 less per month from fifteen or twenty of your spending categories; with each decision you make to spend less, you are gaining power over your money, and you will find creative ways to reduce your spending so you hardly notice. Rather than being dictated by a restriction, your actions are guided by the choices you make. This is the hardest step to financial freedom; you become honest with yourself about how you really stand.Spend less by putting your money away before you see it. Pay yourself. It's not what you make, but what you keep. Time plays an essential role in building future wealth because the longer you contribute, the more you'll have and with time, the contributions you have already made, do more work for you. The thing that makes time so powerful is compounding.Money flows through our lives like water...plentiful at times...a trickle other times. These transitions are exciting or scary, but are all part of the natural cycles of money. There are two important reactions to these cycles: (1) You must take the long view of your financial future (2) you must believe that what happens is positive and let it be. The important thing is to understand the nature of money and take the right steps to make it work for you. Recognize true wealth. People can not be measured by their net worth. Money does not make you financially free; only you can make yourself financially free."

Practical, useful, multidimensional, immediate use

acdefran@webtv.net | 07/17/1999

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Just finished reading this...and then immediately went into work and changed my 401(k) contribution to the maximum. Also am looking for a money market account and will begin managing my own IRA stuff...now that I feel more comfortable doing it. Plan to lend the book to friends, and called my parents to tell them to get a copy and start getting things in order...such as getting a trust instead of a will, getting LTC insurance, etc. I liked her straightforward writing style; she has a knack for explaining the "mysterious" world of investing and finance in a way you can quickly and easily understand. She makes you feel more confident...that you can indeed manage your money. In today's often confusing world, it was very helpful to hear that you can trust your intuition and you don't have to "fall prey" to financial advisors. Also, from personal experience, I know that her advice about "good brings good" and "respect of money will bring you more money" is true. My husband got in a serious accident a year ago and at the time we were in a bad bad financial position--no emergency funds, high credit card debt, prospects of little or no income. This "kick in the pants" helped me to take control of my money and now a year later our credit cards are paid off, we have 4 months of bills in the bank, and I am maxing out my 401(k). Suze Orman's book came to me just when I was ready for the next step, and I am putting it to good use. I highly recommend!!!"

This Book Will Change The Way Most People Feel About Money.

acdefran@webtv.net | BERWICK, PENNSYLVANIA | 09/01/1998

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Suze Orman is teaching a philosophy about personal finance. I like the fact that Orman recommends that you "trust yourself" and "take control". Too many people put their financial affairs in the wrong hands; brokers, insurance agents, bankers, financial planners, accountants etc. The fact is that no one will watch your money better than you will. I also highly recommend "The Millionaire Next Door", "More Wealth Without Risk" and "Financial Self Defense". MWWR and FSD will provide the formula's and techniques not present in "9 Steps to Financial Freedom" All of these books should be in the library of anyone serious about achieving Financial Freedom."

From paycheck to wealth

Theresa & Mike Brennan | Ohio | 03/05/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"A very successul friend once told me that you can live off your income but you can't get wealthy off you income, you only get wealthy by investing and properly managing yourmoney.This book will kickstart you and help make you money smart.I also suggest Financial Self Defense and More Wealth without Risk to add more financial strategies to your arsenal.All three books are must reading."

Pretty good book. Very readable.

Michael Mendenhall | Monterey, CA United States | 05/27/2000

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This was overall a pretty good book. A lot of the information I've heard before, but I like the author's writing style.The advice is pretty standard: Pay off your credit cards, pay down your mortgage, invest for the long term. What I liked about this book is that it's readable. The examples make sense. It's easy to say "pay off your credit cards" but she shows in black and white just how much money credit cards are costing you. Her comparison of a 30 year mortgage to a 15 year mortgage was quite compelling. I had no idea how much difference paying a little extra each month toward a mortgage makes. It's a lot more than I thought.Can you become financially free reading this book? Yes, you can. But you have to follow the steps. You have to do it. Don't read this book and then put it away thinking it was great and wouldn't it be nice if I changed my lifestyle and habits. Do it. I have, and I can say it's worth it.I'm giving this book 4 stars. I'm not giving it 5 because I've read much of the information elsewhere. This isn't the first financial book ever written. I give it a high rating because it's very readable. It's not dull at all. I felt like the author was talking to me like a human being. It's worth buying. I highly recommend it. I also highly recommend "Rich Dad Poor Dad" by Robert Kiyosaki. His book has some similar concepts, but I found it even more readable. His book is about acquiring income producing assets as opposed to just paying down debt and acquiring paper assets. Buy both books."